Thank You, May ’17

Life moves quickly. So swiftly, that it’s easy to miss the things, people and events that make life worthwhile. I’ve decided to create a new section of my blog, to share, appreciate and reflect on each month.

I’m grateful for:

A Trip– After a super busy April, I was delighted to have the opportunity to travel to Geneva for work. I’ve been wanting to go to Geneva for the longest time and feel so blessed to have had the chance to visit this early in my career. God continues to be so good to me!

A Lagos Babe– I met Yagazie Emezi! If you read my #faves: African YouTuber‘s post, you’ll remember me mentioning my love and admiration for her. She was in Nairobi for a series of event’s with Everyday Africa and I got the chance to meet her after a panel discussion she was part of. Yagazie is so lovely and sweet! And yes, her hair is just as wonderful in person.

An Interview– I was invited to Citizen TV’s Power Breakfast where I shared The Arena story, how I got in to student politics and why I’m so enthusiastic about our generation. Watch the interviewhere.

A Big Conservation Lie– Everything I knew and understood about conservation was picked apart and turned upside down after I attended a lecture by Mbaria wa Mbaria and Mordecai Ogada based on their book ‘The Big Conservation Lie‘. They questioned the hegemony of a conservation model that undermines the rights of local communities and cultures. They asked, “Have you ever seen a black man on Animal Planet?“, demonstrating that black people are largely absent from conservation discourse. I’d encourage you to get the book but you can start with this for context.

Free Mind Sessions– Thank you to Free Mind Sessions for inviting me to be a panelist at their ‘Biashara edition’. I got to share alongside some really cool people who I learnt so much from. I’ll do a feature post soon on some key takeaways from the event.

“The main thing is the you beneath the clothes and skin- the ability to do, the will to conquer, the determination to understand and know this great, wonderful, curious world. Don’t shrink from new experiences and custom. Take the cold bath bravely. Enter into the spirit of your big bed-room. Enjoy what is and not pine for what is not. Read some good, heavy, serious books just for discipline: Take yourself in hand and master yourself. Make yourself do unpleasant things, so as to gain the upper hand of your soul” (Web du Bois in a letter to his daughter) | Geneva, Switzerland